Exploring the antimicrobial and antioxidant potential of CuO doped NiO nanocomposites: synthesis, characterization, and melamine sensing evaluation

This research focused on synthesizing CuO@NiO nanocomposites using a co-precipitation method to explore their antimicrobial, antioxidant, and melamine-sensing capabilities. Nickel oxide (NiO), known for its stability and optical properties, was doped with copper oxide (CuO) to enhance its performance. The synthesized nanocomposites showed strong antioxidant activity, achieving 72% inhibition for 2% CuO@NiO and 80% inhibition for 5% CuO@NiO, as determined by the DPPH assay. Antimicrobial tests demonstrated significant inhibition of both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria, particularly with the 5% CuO@NiO composite. Electrochemical analysis, including cyclic voltammetry and differential pulse voltammetry, revealed high sensitivity for melamine detection, with a detection limit of 0.01 µM. These results suggest that CuO@NiO nanocomposites hold promise for applications in antioxidant therapies, antimicrobial treatments, and chemical sensing.